This invention relates to a transfer roll assembly in a textile machine such as a web laying machine or fulling machine.
A web laying machine includes a transfer roll mounted on the machine frame and generally comprising a cylinder of circular cross section having a sheet made of a material such as felt or rubber affixed to its outer circumferential surface. A textile product comprising a length of fabric web rolled up under tension or a length of fabric web exhibiting a high degree of stretchability generally will be greater in length and smaller in width than the originally specified length and width. Consequently, when the web of fabric is laid and spread out on a spreading table from the aforementioned transfer roll as the textile machine longitudinally traverses the spreading table, the fabric develops wrinkles or tends to shrink when left standing on the table after being laid even if optimum transfer conditions have been set.
In an effort to solve this problem, the specification of Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-21155 discloses an arrangement having a transfer roll, the outer circumferential surface of which is formed to include left-handed and right-handed helical threads which, when the transfer roll is rotated, advance in mutually opposing directions. A length of a textile product is supported on the transfer roller in an untensioned state and is extended transversely by the action of the threads while being transferred and laid on the spreading table. With this conventional arrangement, however, the surface contact between the helical threads of the transfer roll and the textile product is so small as to approach point contact, with the result that the textile product is not subjected to a sufficient force for stretching or extending it in the transverse direction. Since it is impossible to adjust this force, which is dependent upon such material properties as the transverse stretch of the textile product and the state thereof, the proposed arrangement has only limited applications.